


alive

by nakayuz



Category: One Piece
Genre: Amber Lead Syndrome, Canon Compliant, Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Flevance (One Piece), Hugs, Late at Night, Luffy Being Luffy, Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates As Family, Ohara (One Piece), Talking, The Thousand Sunny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:16:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25861183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nakayuz/pseuds/nakayuz
Summary: “that’s the only way i can describe it. feeling absolutely alive.”law shifts uncomfortably. “alive?” he mumbles.law and robin chat late at night aboard the sunny.
Relationships: Nico Robin & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Nico Robin/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	alive

**Author's Note:**

> yet another one i've kept tucked away for months and only just now finished it. always had a lil thing for robin and law despite being more of a frobin fan >>
> 
> enjoy!

law wasn’t fully comfortable on the thousand sunny. it was no polar tang, obviously. he was so used to being submerged underwater, trapped in its stuffy and humid air, the sounds of his crew and mainly his vice talking among themselves and complaining of how cramped it was, and the noises continued even through the night. this ship was quiet at night, a type of quiet that he hasn’t experienced in years. the type of quiet that was only present during the times when he was completely alone- no friends, no family, no corazon.

the thought of corazon at such a time, as he was on an unfamiliar boat drifting towards dressrosa, makes him sick to his stomach. the pain of loss squeezes his heart, a strange feeling washing over him, mainly consisting of anger and sadness, and something else he can’t quite understand. all he knows is what he needs to do in order to achieve some peace of mind, even if it isn’t much. 

law turns around after sensing a presence. it’s quiet and he’s surprised he was able to pick it up in the first place. at the bottom of the sunny’s stairs is a woman, dressed in white jeans and a long sleeve sweater the color of her dark hair. her hand falls from the railing as she makes eye contact, a small smile forming on her lips. “did i disturb you, torao-kun?”

“nico-ya.” he says. “no. what are you doing up so late?”

“i should be asking you the same.” she doesn’t step closer to him but looks over at another person laying against their tree, tied up and snoring quite loudly. law had ignored that presence completely. “i just wanted to check up on caesar. i usually stay up, anyways.” she watches the man named caeser shift in his sleep, mumbling quietly to himself embarrassing words, and she turns away from him.

“i can’t sleep.” law answers, “but i have him covered, there’s no need to worry.”

“i see. well, do you mind if i join you?”

law squints at her. he recalls the first time he learnt of the name nico robin, and the history behind it. a little girl who gained a large bounty because she had supposedly destroyed multiple navy ships and was considered a global threat. he knew better than to believe that. he knew there was more to it, and after hearing of the strawhats take down of enies lobby just for that woman, it confirmed his suspicions. she’s mysterious, and even he can’t understand her. the question is vague and harmless as well, yet law finds himself wanting to over analyze it. he sighs and turns back around, resting his arms on the sunny’s railings and looking back out into the dark ocean. “do what you want.”

she chuckles, and it’s gentle. he’s heard the rest of the strawhat's laughs, and none sound like hers. robin walks to his side and mirrors his arms and eyes. “luffy’s glad to have to you here. when i heard of your alliance, i was quite shocked.” she says, her eyes picking up on a couple of fish jumping from the water far away. “but he seems to trust you.”

“he’s a lot more trusting than i thought he would be.” the memory of punk hazard’s cold sends a chill down his spine. it could have been any one of them, he thinks, it could have been any one of those rookies to team up with. he knew as he was formulating his plan that it would have taken some convincing for any of them. he is glad, though, that luffy took nothing more than an answer to a simple question. “i won’t go against him, i can promise you that, nico-ya. is that what you’re worried about?”

robin’s arm moved and she rests her cheek in her hand, humming lightly. “i’ve had alliances before, not many, and every time they betrayed me. so, you could say that.”

“i’m smart enough to know not to betray mugiwara-ya.” law smirks. “plus, the whole lot of you will be after me too, right?” he hears her laugh again, and his heart flutters slightly. he can’t help but like the sound, and he turns to look at her, the wind coursing through her hair gently. her eyes just barely reflect the stars in the sky, and his eyes linger down to her lips, parted and wet. he turns back at the ocean, an unfamiliar warmness in his cheeks.

“yes. we won’t let you get away if you attempted that.” she looks over at him, managing to catch his eyes once more. she notices he struggles to match her gaze. he so usually stern suddenly seemed to have one of his many walls down; a thin one, but a wall, nonetheless. she smiles a bit wider at the idea. “but, torao-kun,” she says, “if luffy trusts you, then i suppose i trust you too.”

law’s eyebrow twitches. “right.” and he looks back out to the water, and she does the same. the two are quiet, listening to only the sounds of the water and distant animals, even picking up on the way the _sunny_ parts through the water as she sailed. law thinks. as many years as he’s been a pirate, or more really, a captain- never has he seen such display of trust as he does in the strawhats. while he’s seen the fair share of faithful crew members, his included, the extent this crew goes to is unseen.

a wanted women for how many years, who’s had trust issues regarding who she chooses as her companions and allies, been degraded to nothing but a monster with no use, who’s reasonable to have a distrust in him- trusts him, because a goofy kid with a straw hat who barely knows him does.

does strawhat only trust him to repay him? or does it run much deeper than that? does it have to do with the _d_ family?

“say, nico-ya.” law blurts out before he has a chance to collect his thoughts. he listens to her hum in response, letting him know she’s listening. he hesitates for a moment, then speaks once more. “why do you all have so much trust in your captain?” he looks over at her. “just _who_ is he to you all?”

robin’s eyes widen for a moment, pursing her lips as she thinks for a moment. “why we trust him?” she repeats. robin straightens her posture, resting her arms back on the railing again.

“we all may have some sort of debt we must owe him.” she says. “some of our lives were saved by him. some may be our towns, maybe a whole island was saved because of him. friends, family saved. maybe that’s why.” she closes her eyes and looks up, taking a deep breath, breathing in the sea air. “he gives us all a sense of purpose. let’s us pursue our own dreams. but even if that’s the case,” she opens her eyes again. “another purpose has of course developed along the way.”

“another purpose? how?” law asks.

she looks back at him, smiling. a sly smile, then brings a finger to her lips. “wouldn’t that be a crew secret, torao-kun?” she watches as law’s brows furrow, and he lets go of the railing.

“i can’t see what you guys see in him.” law says. “can’t see what you guys see in each other.” he brings his hands up, staring down at them. lightly scared and worn hands. “of course, i care for my crew, and they care for me. but it’s nothing like this.” he balls his hands into a fist. “and i don’t know why i’m compelled to trust a guy like mugiwara-ya. it can piss me off sometimes.” he lets go of his fists.

“are you perhaps jealous, torao-kun?” robin chuckles.

“jealous?!” law whips his head around to look at her. “why would i be jealous of mugiwara-ya? of this _crew_? why...” and by his own reaction he’s proved himself wrong, and robin only shakes her head.

“you’re from flevance, right?” robin says.

law freezes.

robin hums. “then you’ve had amber lead disease.” she moves to hold her arms, cocking her head. “your devil fruit... must’ve been how you survived.” she watches intently, the way law’s fists have balled once more, and there’s a slight tense in his jaw. “i can see why you’re jealous. you started at absolutely zero. and luffy had something- is that what you’re thinking?”

law clicks his tongue, narrowing his eyes. “no.” he says. “it’s not that i’m jealous. not necessarily.” he sighs. “when i look at your crew, when i look at mugiwara-ya, there’s this feeling that arises within me. it’s strange.” his hand rests over his stomach, “it starts in my stomach, like it’s dropping,” then brings his hands upward over his chest, “then it moves to my chest, and i can feel my heart beat,” and then finally his hand goes to the side of his head, his finger poking at his temple. “and then i feel it here. i just feel... i don’t know. i feel-“

“alive.” robin smiles. “it’s the same for me. when i worked under crocodile, i took one look at him, one look at the crew he had gathered, and that exact feeling was there.” she shakes her head. “that’s the only way i can describe it. feeling absolutely alive.”

law shifts uncomfortably. “ _alive_?” he mumbles. law holds his left upper arm, looking out to the sea. “nico-ya. what does that mean?”

she’s taken aback. “huh?”

“what does it mean to be _alive_?” law looks back at her, lips pursed. he’s nervous for an answer. of course, he’s been living all these years, of course he’s been alive- but what does it mean? is that what it really feels like? after his own death scare at ten years old, that feeling has always been a bit absent. especially after his guardian died. he can’t quite grasp it, that feeling. is that why... he’s compelled to strawhat?

robin’s quiet for a moment before looking down, noticing the damp night grass of the sunny’s lawn. “i don’t know, torao-kun.” she’s quiet. “i struggle with the same thing.” her too, with multiple death scares and her very own death wish, even after wanting to live, what does it mean to live? “i chase after that feeling luffy gives off all the time. maybe that’s why... all the way back when he saved me in alabasta... maybe that’s why i decided to join. and why i decided to go back after trying to leave.” she breathes. “luffy’s my captain.” she says, a light crack in her voice.

law’s quiet too. he watches how she curls into herself, arms holding each other and shivering lightly from a sea breeze. a strand of her falls over her face, and he swear he thought there was a hint of a tear in the corner of her eyes. he doesn’t think when he steps forward and pulls her towards him, arms wrapping around her shoulders. he doesn’t care, he just felt like it was right. it’s not like he didn’t need a hug either, as much as he doesn’t want to admit it.

“torao-kun?” robin whispers. 

“we’ll figure out that feeling one day.” law says, and he rests his chin atop her head. “chase after it as long as you can, nico-ya.”

robin’s surprised. she wasn’t used to this type of affection, and she was sure he wasn’t either. it was strange, yet it felt right. she leans more into the hug and wraps her arms around him. “you’ll find it too.” she says. “somehow. with or without luffy’s help.” then she hugs a bit tighter. “i’m glad you’re here with us. we’ll help you, torao-kun. put your faith into my captain.”

law closes his eyes and pulls her closer. “already have.” a strange weight is lifted from his shoulders as he relaxes into the hug. “thanks.”

...

law finds himself dozing off hours later, leaning against the railing with robin by his side, head on his shoulder and a blanket around her shoulders that he took from caeser. he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep comfortably, but he was relaxed well enough, her presence being a big part of the help. he allows himself to close his eyes, allowing himself the chance to sleep. even just for a little bit. he thought the insomnia was warded off for now. and maybe the nightmares will, too.

it seems to last only a second, when he wakes to being yelled at by a chivalrous blond in an apron, a frying pan in hand. it’s bright out, the sky turning blue as the sun brings itself over the horizon. he feels better, feels _rested_.

law moves his hand upward, creating a room large enough to cover the ship. he flicks his fingers up, whispering a “shambles”, and robin’s gone, replaced with a small piece of orange hair that falls to the ground. then he lets the room dissolve. the weight on his shoulder and the comforting presence is gone, and he immediately feels tenser once more.

“what did you do with her?!” the cook screams, steam practically blowing from his ears with his anger.

“i transported her into bed with nami-ya. she’s fine.” law says, sighing as his arm falls to his lap once more.

sanji growls, grumbling swears and insults as he returns to his kitchen, resuming his crews breakfast.

law leans against the railing once more, looking up at the sky. he’s unsure of how robin fell asleep on him in the first place. all he can remember is they talked. she became tired of standing and they sat together on the lawn, continuing to talk- about anything, really. their pasts mainly being the focal point. law shared a piece of his time with corazon with her. robin told him about ohara. though he knew much about it, he never imagined what life could have been like on it. she was perfect at explaining it. and then, she fell asleep after a few minutes of silence, and he pulled her head gently to his shoulder, rooming the blanket to lay over her.

he couldn’t remember the last time he really talked with someone; let alone the last time he was able to open up so easily.

he hears the rest of the crew, the men’s headquarters starting with their noise, luffy screaming of food and a collective groan from the few in there. he cracks a smile for a second and stands up. the day is beginning once more. there’s a small thought within him, hardly recognized.

_i hope night comes quicker, so we can talk again._


End file.
